Month: February 2025

Categories
Careers programmes

Students work with industry experts to suggest climate change solutions

real world challenge climate change
real world challenge climate change

We held the Real-World Challenge, Climate Change event hosted by PwC in their Belfast office at Merchant Square on 20 February 2025.

It was an exciting opportunity for the students who took part to hear from industry experts and join a team to tackle the real-world problem of climate change and what is currently being done in Northern Ireland to reduce emissions and produce a greener place to live, all while developing key employability skills!

A presentation was given by Professor John Barry, and we also hosted some Café Conversations with external speakers, who were, Melanie Thrush, Senior Engineer, geotechnical team, ARUP, Claire Shortt, Belfast City Council, Amy Bell, Acting Climate NI Manager, Climate Northern Ireland, Jason Calvert, Director in Economics Consulting, PwC, and John McCann, Estates Manager – Environmental, Queen’s University Belfast.

It was a busy, and fulfilling programme for the students who took part, and it gave them a chance to use their critical thinking skills to come up with some positive solutions to an important topic and an opportunity to interact with a broad range of students from across Queen’s.

Big thanks to everyone who took part!

Hitesh Gidwani, MSc Finance Student Queen’s University Belfast.

Had an eye-opening experience at the Real-World Challenge hosted by PwC, where we tackled climate change solutions alongside industry experts and students from across Queen’s!

One of the most thought-provoking tasks? Creating “The Best & Worst Newspaper Headlines of 2050.”

 “Are you breathing or gasping for air? It’s official—humanity is ending… (Pay $5000 to read full article)”

A dark yet satirical take on how human greed persists even when survival is at stake. Will we let our planet deteriorate to a point where clean air becomes a luxury? Or will we take action today?

Gained valuable insights from expert speakers.

 Collaborated with an amazing team to brainstorm real-world solution.

Realized how even small daily actions can create a massive impact.

3 Simple Steps YOU Can Take Today to Fight Climate Change:

1️. Ditch plastic bottles – Carry a reusable one!

2.  Rethink fast fashion. The fashion industry causes 10% of global carbon emissions. Buying 1 second-hand outfit instead of new reduces waste, pollution, and guilt. (Plus, vintage is cooler anyway.)

3. Sort your waste like your life depends on it. Because, well… it kinda does. Landfills release methane, which is 25x worse than CO₂. Proper recycling = less toxic air = fewer “gasping for air” headlines.

The future is still in our hands. Will we change the headline before it’s too late?

Big thanks to PwC UK, Careers Queen’s University Belfast, and all Lynsey Foster for this incredible opportunity! Looking forward to more impactful experiences ahead.

Lynsey Foster, Employer Engagement Team, Careers, Queen’s University Belfast

We  hosted our Real-World Challenge, Climate Change event in PwC’s beautiful Merchant Square offices. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the students considered what is currently being done in NI to reduce emissions and become a greener place to live.

We welcomed several external speakers who joined our discussions and shared what their organisations are currently doing to tackle the climate emergency.

It was a very inspiring day with a lot of great takeaways! Thanks to each of our speakers for joining us and having some great discussions with our students – John Barry, Amy Bell, Melanie Thrush, Jason Calvert, John McCann, and Claire Shortt.

A big thank you to Abigail Darwent and the PwC team for hosting us and to Climate Northern Ireland, Arup, Belfast City Council.

Find out more about the Real-World Challenge Climate Change. https://go.qub.ac.uk/realworldchallenge

Categories
Careers programmes

Experience life studying abroad in Utrecht

utrecht
utrecht

Hear from Queen’s student, Liana Mac Intyre about her study abroad opportunity in Utrecht. Take it away Liana…

“Spending a summer studying in Utrecht was one of the best decisions I made during my time at Queen’s. If you’re thinking about a short-term study abroad programme, I can’t recommend it enough.“

“You get to experience life in a new city, meet people from all over the world, and develop a deeper understanding on your chosen course topic. Looking back, my time in Utrecht gave me a deeper appreciation of Europe and the EU, not just as a political project, but as a space shaped by shared history, culture, and ideas.”

“I took part in the European Politics and Economy summer school at Utrecht University. Given my interest in politics and history and my desire to pursue a career in diplomacy, I wanted to better understand how the EU functions, especially from the perspective of a country that has deep historical ties to it. The course was an intense but rewarding mix of lectures, debates, and excursions. We covered everything from the institutional structure of the EU to its economic policies, and we had the chance to apply our knowledge in discussions on real-world issues like Brexit, trade agreements, and the future of the European Union.”

“One of the highlights was visiting The Hague, where we discussed the role of institutions like the International Court of Justice. Furthermore, we had the chance to visit the Mauritshuis Museum where we saw the famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting!”

Beyond the academic side of things, Utrecht itself was an incredible place to live for a few weeks. The city has a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, and cycling everywhere quickly became second nature.

“Afternoons were spent by the canals, and evenings often ended in one of the city’s many bars, chatting with other students from across Europe. The international mix of people on the course made for some fascinating conversations- everyone brought their own perspective, and it was refreshing to step outside of the UK and see things through a different lens. Due to its close proximity, my new friends and I were able to take a trip to Amsterdam at the weekend which was a great bonus to this amazing trip!”

“If you’re on the fence about doing a summer school, my advice is: go for it!“

“It’s a brilliant way to broaden your academic and personal horizons, all while having a great time in a new city. Utrecht, with its mix of history, culture, and student-friendly vibe, is the perfect place to do it.”

Find out more about study abroad opportunities at Utrecht https://go.qub.ac.uk/utrechtsummerschool

Categories
Careers programmes Stock Market Challenge

Real-World Experience Gained at the Stock Market Challenge 2025

Our annual Stock Market Challenge Careers programme took place on 29 January 2025, offering students an opportunity to gain real-world experience of analysing markets and making investments.

Our students got to simulate the excitement of the stock market and compete for top prizes including industry insight opportunities.

Congratulations to our Stock Market Challenge 2025 winners Michael McCormick and William Parr! You played a great game! And congratulations also to the runners up and everyone who took part in the popular competition.

We want to give our thanks to the Employers that took part First Derivative, FinTrU, Fund Axis and Grant Thornton NI LLP and to our delivery partners at SolutionSim.

Here is what some of the people involved had to say about this year’s programme.

As a law student, this was my first time participating in the Stock Market Challenge, and thus it was an incredible experience with Rachel Lyle. We generated profit and secured a top 12 finish, making the experience even more rewarding. It was a competitive challenge but truly exciting, and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Additionally, the Employer Panel Q&A provided great insights into what employers are looking for. After the competition, we also had the opportunity to network with each other and connect with representatives from Deloitte, FinTru, First Derivative, Funds-Axis, and Grant Thornton NI LLP.

A big thank you to Careers Queen’s University Belfast for hosting such an amazing session!
Charmyn Woon 

LLB Law Student at Queen’s University Belfast

It was impressive to see so much talent on display at QUB’s Stock Market Challenge earlier this week. Congratulations to all the students who took part and gained the real-world experience of analysing markets and making investments.

We look forward to welcoming QUB students Richard and Jahed from the competition to our Summer Insights programme this June.

FinTrU

50+ students worked in teams to beat a stock market simulation, with 4 teams performing so well that they won a Work Shadowing / Careers Insight Day with one of our brilliant guest employers, or as part of our upcoming Work Shadowing Week 2025, plus a nice gift voucher to spend however they want!

 We’re so grateful to our Guest Employers representatives who joined us, answered our questions in the Employer Panel, and even tried their hand at beating the stock market alongside our students: FinTrU, First Derivative, Funds-Axis Limited, Grant Thornton (NI) LLP.

A final, massive thank you from myself and my event co-coordinator Becky Law to our Delivery Partners at solutionsim.net for making this possible year after year, and in particular to Liam Barnes, for joining us as game host on the night (and for all the work that came before!).


Ludovica Piccinini, Careers Consultant

https://go.qub.ac.uk/stockmarketchallenge